As anyone who has coughed their way through a traffic jam in a Southeast Asian city will tell you, urban traffic congestion is one of the region's major challenges. This study from Sri Lanka has focused on one key aspect of this problem - the health impacts of diesel vehicles in the country's...

This study assesses the impact of irrigation on That Luang Marsh (TLM) in Vientiane, the capital city of the People’s Democratic Republic (PDR) of Laos. The study finds that the economic benefits provided by the marsh (particularly in terms of the fish it supplies to local people) far outweigh...

Wetlands are among the most important habitats for wildlife in the world. However, across Southeast Asia many wetland areas are under threat from water extraction and a range of other development pressures. This study finds that conserving wetlands can provide significant economic benefits.

Wetlands provide rich environments for wildlife as well as agriculture. This frequently results in a conflict between wetland conservation and agricultural development. This, in turn, means that research into the interplay between development decision making, agricultural productivity and...

Many environmental policies and programmes help save people's lives. However, it can be difficult to assign this key benefit a value.' Because of this, mortality reduction is often not taken into account when potential projects are assessed. This omission can result in projects being undervalued...

This study investigates the impact of proposals to reduce the height of dykes in Vietnam's Mekong River Delta. The proposals are designed to reduce wetland water levels to an environmentally sustainable level, however it has not been clear how this will affect farmers in the region. High dykes...

This study presents a 'value of life' estimate for children in Metro Manila of between US$0.70 million and US$0.80 million. It was carried out by Rosalina Palanca-Tan, from the Department of Economics at the Ateneo de Manila University in Quezon City. Palanca-Tan's assessment is based on...

One of the most difficult challenges facing developing countries is balancing the needs of rural people with the demands of nature conservation. All too often, conflicts occur because local needs are not taken into account in conservation planning. One of the more promising approaches to solving...

This study assesses several pollution control options available to cattle farmers in North Vietnam. Cattle numbers in Vietnam -and with it cattle manure - are increasing as demand for milk rises. This is causing problems for the environment and for people's health. The study focused on the Gia...

This study looks at the costs and benefits of the main pig waste disposal options used by intensive pig farmers in Thailand. It aims to see which alternatives give the most benefits to farmers and to society as a whole. It also aims to understand why farmers are reluctant to adopt biogas...